If you don’t eat anything with a face, you’re in luck. A brand new restaurant is making its way to Manhattan and it promises to be one of the best vegan restaurants you can find in the city.
The latest venture from owners Andrew Segal and Steven Bellamy, Belse is a brand new vegan restaurant brewery expected to arrive on 265-267 Bowery, replacing the Paulaner Brauhaus that previously occupied the space. Described by the owners as “high-concept vegan dining”, Belse will also function as an active brewery and serve plant-based beer and cocktails to customers.
While Belse originally opened up in Dallas, the team first got their start in California when Segal and Bellamy opened up Little Pine Restaurant in LA. Also styled as a vegan eatery, Little Pine earned some serious acclaim from the vegan community and was ranked #1 of 500 vegan restaurants by Happy Cow, Veg Out, and Veg News. With a pedigree like that, it was only a matter of time before the team turned their eyes to New York.
Envisioned as a vegan New American restaurant, Belse will offer a gamut of options, ranging from vegan sushi and southwest jackfruit salad, to gluten-free pancakes, vegan cheesecakes, and Impossible Burgers. Occupying the entire ground floor of the building, the restaurant is expected to be able to seat up to 162 people at one time.
Not content to just offer premium food at a great location, the Belse team also wants to ensure that their aesthetic matches their vision. As part of this process, they hired famed street artist Shepard Fairey to design their logo – two hands holding up the earth in a lotus flower – to symbolize their commitment to creating a sustainable future. Shepard is known for his 2008 “HOPE” portrait of President Barrack Obama, as well as the iconic “OBEY GIANT” art campaign.
Fusing the best elements of fine dining with a sustainable and environmentalist philosophy, Belse is on a mission to make vegan dining as elegant and competitive as any other restaurant. With so much work ahead of them to transform the space, the Belse team claims to still be several months away from opening its doors to the public.
